Vapor heating system



T, G. IVOUAT.

VAPOR HEATING SYSTEM. APPLlc'ATloN FILED SEPT. 2a, 1918.

. ,404,995. n Patented Jan. 3l, 1922* UNITED STA-'E' THOMAS G.

MOUAT. or, BnArnNaH-IJ, onto.

PATENT- j varon HEATING SYSTEM; f

specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented aan.' 31,l 1922.

imputation mea september 28; 1918. Aserial Nof 256,03.' f 1 'i T0 allwhom z'zbmay. concern:

ijonly f1 `jinvention my beembodied.

Fig. 2 an' Be it known that I, THOMAS G. lVoUA'r, Va citizen of theUnited Statesg---residing' at Bratenahl, in the county of Cuyahoga andState o f Ohio,`have invented a certain new and useful- Improvement inVapor Heating Systems, of which the Vfollowing isa full, clear, andexact description', reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates. to steam heating .systems'andl has specialreference tosystenis of .the low-pressure or -'so-called vapor type,andthe objects. of the invention are the provision o'lf means fordischarging automatically the air contained in the radiators orl otherparts of the system, while sareguarding' against the escape of waterfrom the system, either in the shape of vapor `or liquid,jso as both todispense with the necessity 4or frequently'iilling the boilerand to.avoid the danger of injuryto things`surrounding.

' In the drawings accompanying' and formingapartV of this application, Ilhave illus- ,trated Vmy improved air-escape fitting, both VVby itselfand in conjunction with a complete vaporlheating, system gf although itwill/be understood that the particular constructions and designs whichare hereillustrated'are 'grewl of a large number wherein my 'In thesedrawings Fig. Jl illustrates a complete. heating embodying myimprovement;V .2

`1`-epresents a vertical sectional view through my improved airescapeittin'g; Fig. Sis a right handelevation of the: tting 'shown in d Figsfland 5 illustrate mocliied constructions andarrangements De'scribingY thep'artsfby reference char- Aio' acters,"`1 represents" the boiler Y'whichmay be of anyfsuitab'le'type, Q represent's the steammain, and 3represents the return main. 'I` he steam-main@ leadsY from ay riser,dome,

. header, .or i other.l steam-space f` represented at Ladera as tovreenter 4,'as`, iscustomary in devicesk of thischarand thereturn main3f is depressedl so 'the' boiler at some l'point 5 vive-lli' below thewater line. The radiating devices,`h ere represented byL they radiators6,-6, a=re connected `in parallel between the mains 2.fand'3. These mayextend to-any "weber within! the Capacity .0f the boiler, and' will'seldom be so e'vv'fas two, although I have -chosen this numberforillustra'tion 51 balie-unen@ the vSam@ issueeht f .Of Pur ofany'suitable ordesired type,iand my invention is largely independent Yofthe mode of connecting these radiators to the mains,

although vit is decidedly 'preferable to con'- vposes of disclosure.'These radiators may be A- nectf the steam-m`ain 2V to theupper part ofthe radiators as shown at 7 1?, and to' provide each radiator 'at that`point withl -anad- Vjustable valvef; The return pipes 9:.lea'd from thelower part of the radiators tothe returnmain '3l f I i i' y 'I' Itisvery desirable' that the boiler be vprovlded with a delicatepressure-'control ap'- paratusof the type adapted to maintainl at alltimesa smallpositivwe pressure. I prefer that type which is illustratedand described' in my prior patent'issued .October 9,1909, No.937,686,which operates by the expulsion o water Afrom a closed,ffi'X'ed-levelreceptacle l0 into a movablereeeptacle '11,y but anylsuitl able type ofregulator canffbe 'employed withinfthewscope of my' invention* or theboilencan betended manually. I- have shown-*the `water 4 level intheboiler atv 12; owing lto Vthe''condensing effect Vof the radiatorsthe-pressure in the return main 3' will ordinarily be less than thatinside the boiler and the'water line in thelegl` `will' be slightly'above that in thel boiler as shown at lil.' It will'be understoodthatthehori- Zontal connectionlbet'ween the leglS and ythe boiler can beeither short or long.

In orderl to permit theescape'or'l ainro'm theapparatus,` I attachtosomef part of the system beyond thel radiating means a` devicevconsisting.` essentially of one' or more upright tubes connectedattheirlOvverend lby arestricted passage to the return* mair`1,'andVopen at their upperV ends'by: a correspondingly Y;

restricted-passage to the atmosphere. One'ofv these can',desiredfbe'connected to or near each radiator, but in thepreerr'edembo'diment of my' invention a single ,de .vi'ce is used forthe 'whole system, being'cnnected to sonde/part of the return maind Theonly requirement .is thatfit beflocatefdV `above vthe vvwater level 11iandbe' outside of thedirect heat influence oftheboiler. In' theembodiment 'here' illustrated', the `air escape device consists of tubes20"-20-*20 having their-A lower ends connected to( a header or manifoldQ1', vvhichis connectedbymeans 'of a nipple 22t0'somej'portionofthereturn main 3; 4The' lower fend .offfeachtube'is Closed by plugasthma thichisdfilled aisee-11H0 hole 24 preferably about -gl inch indiameter, or slightly smaller'. The upper end of each tube is suitablyclosed as by a cap 25 and is also formed with a small escape opening 26of about the same size as the hole 24.

The number of these tubes will be greater or smaller depending uponthesize of the system. I preferably employ one tube for approximatelyeach three hundred square feet of radiator surface, but do not desire torestrict myselfy thereto. The tubes 2O may vary widely in dimensions,but should be of such a nature as to conduct and radiate heat readily.Common iron pipes are found to be perfectly satisfactory. They must be0f suflicient size so as t0 be non-capillary and their length mustbegreater than the height of a columnof water equal to the maximumpressure which exists in the return main 8 under any conditions, whichin turn is a function of the pressure forwhich the pressure-regulator isset. I ordinarly employ tubes of an Y interior diameter of from to inchand a length of from 2O to 30 inches; but any one of these dimensionscan be halved or doubled without changing the operation, provided onlythat the height of the tube be always greater than that of thewaterpcolumn corresponding to the maximum pressure.

The size of the bores 24 must be suliiciently small to prevent theoccurrenceof ya downward flow of liquid simultaneously withan upwardflow of gas or vapor; I have expressed this requirement by the termcapillary The operation of the device is as follows: Vapor beingadmitted into any radiator, the same because of its low pressure entersthe same in aV gentle manner and mixes very little with the air alreadytherein. The water vapor being lighter than the air, (both because ofits higher temperature and its well known specific` gravity at equaltemperatures), occupies the top of the radiator and eXpels the airbefore it into the main 3 whence it travels towards the boiler beingimpelled both by gravity and by the general drift of the heating fluid.Arriving .at 4the header 2l it escapes through the bores 24 andaperatures 26, the cold walls of the vtubes 20e-20 serving to condenseany moisture dissolved in or entrained by the escaping air. This mayeven continue until the lowervparts of the tubes 20v become filled withcondensation as shown, through which the escapingy air bubbles freelyuntil the head of the liquid therein becomes equal `to' the boilerpressure, whereupon escape l ceases temporarily. y

Howevermlnor variations inl the boiler lpress'ure Yare always occuring,and at the .next decrease 1nv such pressure, some or all y .l vvof thecondensed liquid will gravitate into the' header 21"/and so be 'ireturned tothe boiler. I have shown the nipplel^22 as eccentrically`inserted in the header lso as to permit the same to be self clearing.

In case the return main 3 becomesI filled Y through the bores 24, thuspreventing the formation of any vacuumY in the` mains which would tendto modify thev operation of the boiler. The Adevice can be locatedanywhere in the entire system whence'it is desired to remove the air,provided only that it be not so close to the boiler, smoke flue, or tosome radiator' as to prevent the condensation action here described; andseveral devices can be employed at different points in a single system,although the particular arrangement herein shownis the preferable one. y

The header can in'some cases be dispensed with, the tubes being locateddirectly upon the return main as shown in Figs. y4`and V5.

Andthe tubes need not be vertical butmay Y be inclined as shown in Fig.5,y provided only that they possess suiiicient rise to afford therequisite head bf liquid to balance the lworking pressure. Also myinvention is not restricted to the* use of a pressure regulating deviceof the type shown herein but any suitable expedient can be employed,while many other modifications will occur to those skilled in the artand are to be esteemed as `covered in and by the claims hereto annexed.

Having thus describedV my invention, what I claim is i l. An airescapedevice forgheatingsystems employing the vapor of waterand havingsteam and return mains, comprising an elongated tube of conductingmaterial supported with one end higher than the other, the lower end ofsaid tube communicating with said return main, said tube being locatedtherein above the Water vlevel therein such communication being effectedby means of a capillary passage and the other. end communicating withthe outer air by means of a restricted passage, the difference in levelbetween said passages being not less than the height of a column ofwatervequivalentto the maximum pressure in the system adjacent thereto.vY l f 2. The combination with a he'ating 'sysA tem employing the vaporof water' and hav? ing steamand return mains, of an elongated tube ofconducting material supported in a ygenerally upright position outsideof the *direct influence of said system, the upper end of said. tubebeing in communication with the' atmosphere and the lower endcommunicating with the return main oi the system above the water leveltherein by means of a capillary bore, the difference in level betweenthe ends of said tube being at least as great as the height of a columnof water equivalent to the maximum pressure in the system adjacentthereto, said tube being located entirely above the Water level. andIadapted to discharge water by gravity into said return main.

3. lAn air escape device for yheating systems employing the vapor' ofwater and having steam` and return mains, comprising a tube ofheat-conducting material having at one end a capillary bore and at theother end a restricted outlet, the body of said tube being suicientlylarger than said bore sopas to be non-capillary, and means for attachingsaidvtube to the system in substantially upright position with saidcapillary bore at its lower end and above the water level in the system,the length of said tube being not less than the height of aV column ofwater equivalent to the maximum pressure in said system at the point towhich said device is attached.

4. An air esc'ape'device forheating systems employing the vapor ofwater, comprising a condensing chamber located wholly above the waterlevel and having itslower part communicating with the interior of saidsystem by a capillary bore and having its upper part communicating withthe atmosphere at a point at least as high above said bore as the heightof a column of waterA equivalent to the maximum pressure in theV systemat the point to which said device is attached.

5; An air escape device for heating sys tems comprising a header, meansfor attaching4 said header to a return main and a plu.- p

rality of uprightY metal pipes carried by said header, each pipecommunicating with said header by a capillary bore.

6. Infa device of thecharacter described, they combination with a returnpipe of a f steam heating system, of an upright metal y :tube connectedat its lower end toy saidA re-l turn pipe above the water level of thevsystem and communicating therewith by way of a narrow bore, thediameter of said bore Y.

being materially less thanthat of said tube and also less than thelength of the bore,

saidI tube being located entirely above the Water level' of the systemand adapted to discharge its water of condensation therein by gravity- 1Q ,4

7 An air escape fitting for steam heating systems comprising, lincombination, a chambered part adapted to communicate freely with theinterior of the system, and .one or more upright tubes carried by saidpart and communicating with the atmosphere at their upper ends,thelength yof a tube being not less than the height of a column of waterequivalent tothe maximum pressure in thev system, and each tubecommunicating with the chamber by means of a. narrow boreV whosediameter is'less than its length and also less than the diameter of thetube into which it opens.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afx myr A signature. n l c Y THOMAS Gr.'MOUA'I

